Typoman: a platformer built on words

Spelling and grammar N***s worldwide are rejoicing as award-winning
platformer Typoman arrives on the PlayStation Store. The 2D puzzle
platformer sees you step into the shoes of a letter-based character –
see what we did there – who must navigate a treacherous world of rogue
words, much like the subeditor at #GNTECH.

Putting the O in HERO

You’ve heard the saying words are a weapon. Well, in Typoman they are so
much more. Words act as bridges, traps, buttons, platforms and enemies.
This isn’t just a game for wordsmiths, though. Typography nuts will
appreciate the shape and aesthetics of the letters Typoman comes across.

Push the T in TRUTH a little further and you’ll unleash a monster

Developed by German indie studio Brainseed Factory, a company that’s barely four years old, Typoman sees the protagonist, Hero, push, lift, drop and place letters in logic and spelling puzzles to progress through the adventure. Hero is literally a hero – his name spells what he is.

The levels found in Typoman are eerily reminiscent of indie masterpiece Inside

In a Q&A with Madewith.unity.com, Bilal Chbib, Founder of Brainseed Factory, said the game was a tribute to the “HERO with a pen”: writers who devoted their writing abilities to truth and freedom in times of oppression and tyranny.

“Most people don’t realise the unlimited potency words have,” Chbib told the website. “They can be powerful or sharp as a sword. They can make us feel weak or strong. They can bring out the best in us – or the worst. Wrong and evil words can lead to tyranny and create monsters. To defy these monsters you need words of goodness and virtue.”

The Bonn-based founder added that the gameplay mechanics may have been inspired, indirectly, by the likes of indie successes Limbo, Braid and Scribblenauts.